industrial archaeology – Page 9 – Industrial Heritage Networks

Dean Heritage Centre & Cambridge Museum of Technology Recieve NHLF Grants

February 17, 2025mikenevell

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has granted £164,000 for the Dean Heritage Centre’s “Investing in the Past, Future, and Present” project, and a grant of £99,932 to the Cambridge Museum of Technology for their ‘Full Steam Ahead’ project.

*Horizontal stam engine, Cambridge Museum of Technology. Copyright: Dr Michael Nevell*

Cambridge Museum of Tehcnology’s grant will fund the ‘Full Steam Ahead’ project. This will see two new heritage roles recruited to expand the Museum’s capacity for both general opening, and for increased education and community outreach work. The funding will also re-invigorate existing space in the Engineer’s House to be used as a space for community hires. Building on existing partnerships within the local Abbey community, the Museum will offer more opportunities for engaging with industrial heritage and their collections, through events and workshops. The Museum will be able to expand its schools programme, reaching more young people and engaging with teachers to form lasting links.

*Dean Heritage Centre. Copyright: Dr Michael Nevell*

The Dean Heritage Centre, which reflects the history of the Forest of Dean, is based in a listed cornmill and will use its grant for the “Investing in the Past, Future, and Present” project, which aims to “transform the museum”. Volunteers, local groups and schools will be able to take part in the project through “citizen science” activities, including sampling water that runs through the site. “We want to have new galleries, develop the site, and actually make it a viable place for the future,” Mark George, centre manager, said.

Further details about the Dean Heritage Centre here: https://www.deanheritagecentre.org/

Further details abou the Cambridge Msuem fo Technology’s plans can be found here: https://www.museumoftechnology.com/full-steam-ahead

Canal & River Trust Launch Emergency Appeal After Winter Storms Damage

February 7, 2025mikenevell

The Canal and River Trust, who cares for a 2,000-mile network of canals and navigable rivers in England and Wales, has launch an emergency appeal for funds to help the network recover from the ‘devastating and widespread’ damage inflicted by a series of winter storms in late 2024 and early 2025.

The Trust reports that Storm Bert’s high winds and torrential rain left boats adrift and flooded locks across the country in December 2024. Shortly after, at the beginning of January 2025, high winds and flooding risks returned as Storm Darragh hit the UK. This triggered a rare Red Warning from the Met Office, and felled over 400 trees along the network, blocking navigable waterways, damaging lock gates, and causing landslips. The charity estimates that it will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair the canals and rivers affected.

Storms and flooding not only destroy towpaths and damage historic locks. They can also pollute and damage the habitats of the wildlife in and around the canal network. CRT teams have been working around the clock to deal with the impacts of these storms but the charity needs further funds to deal with future storm events.

For more details on how to donate online, follow this link: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/perfectstorm

*Landslip on the the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Saddleworth as a result of Storm Darragh, Janaury 2025. Image coutersy of Canal & River Trust.*

Moira Furnance Conservation to Go Ahead in Spring 2025

February 5, 2025mikenevell

North West Leicestershire District Coucnil has agreed to provide £160,000 of extra funding to repair the Moira Furnace museum buildings. Repairs are due to begin later in February and are expected to take around 22 weeks.

Moira Furnace is one of the best preserved iron blast furnaces in England. Built in 1806 the site is now a Scheduled Monument owned by the local council. Initial plans to repair the structure and museum pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time the cost of the repairs has risen from £3330,000 to £490,000. The short fall is being made up from council reserves and £65,000 from the UK Shared Prosperty Fund. More details here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3j71141v5o

The current site comprises a museum of iron making and social history, a vintage 100+-year-old narrowboat for trips along the canal, fishing along its banks, and woodlands for exploring. More details here: https://www.moirafurnace.org/

*Moira furnace. Image courtesy of Moira* *Furnace museum & country park.*

New Job Opportunity at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre & Museum

January 29, 2025January 27, 2025mikenevell

Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum is undertaking an exciting new project and are seekign to appoint a manager for the Synergy Project. In 2022, the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded Catalyst the funding for the Development Stage of the Synergy Project which aims to make our heritage accessible to new and underrepresented audiences in an entertaining and meaningful way. The project will physically redevelop the heritage galleries and transition spaces, as well as implement a heritage education offer to complement our already successful STEM programme. In September 2024, Catalyst was awarded the funding for the Delivery Phase of the Synergy Project which will see the physical implementation of the new heritage galleries and heritage offer.

Details of the post can be found here:

Synergy Project Manager – Job Description Nov 24 final Download

To apply please send a covering letter and CV to Nikki Burton Mallett, Chief Executive Officer at nikki@catalyst.org.uk by Tuesday 11 th February. In the event of a large volume of applications Catalyst reserve the right to close applications ahead of this date. Interviews will take place the week beginning 24th Feb.

Historic England Consultation on Draft ‘Tool Kit for Managing the Ownship of Archaeological Finds’

January 27, 2025mikenevell

Historic England has developed a draft Toolkit for Managing the Ownership of Archaeological Finds in England, as part of the Future for Archaeological Archives Programme. It has benefitted from initial advice from members of the programme’s Advisory Panel and from Queens Counsel legal advice.

The new toolkit is designed as a resource for individuals involved in the management, recovery, and archiving of archaeological materials. It offers guidelines to ensure the secure and legal transfer of ownership of archaeological material, thereby supporting effective archival practices and planning policy. The toolkit consists of a model deed of transfer and guidance covering principles of ownership, advice on transferring ownership of the material archive, procedures for arranging transfer of ownership, guidance for planners, landowners and planning applicants/developers and guidance where landowner consent cannot be obtained.

The Toolkit includes sections on:

Ownership – the principles of ownership of archaeological finds
Advice on transferring ownership of the material archive from an archaeological project
Procedures for arranging transfer of ownership
- for a development project
- for a research or community project
Guidance for planners, landowners and planning applicants/developers
Guidance where landowner consent cannot be obtained
Objects already in museum/repository collections
Material assemblages stored by archaeological contractors

The draft toolkit is subject to a consultation period of nine months between January and September 2025. Historic England very much welcomes all feedback, which can be submitted via this short form https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RG4RMHlNwESowevAcH2jyWGl58Stc09CpJPQVx986upURTJWV0hYSEZURzFQMFFEQTJCNE5TMEpSVy4u&route=shorturl

or by emailing FAAP@historicengland.org.uk.

Results of the survey will be analysed in Autumn 2025 and will inform the toolkit’s further development.

Small Grants Available in 2025 for Industrial Heritage Museums & Sites

January 14, 2025mikenevell

The dealines for several grant streams suitable for Industrial Heritage museums and sites occur in early 2025. To catch up with what is available for industrial heritage sites and museums explore the following websites.

Foyle Foundation Small Grants The Small Grants Scheme is provided by the Foyle Foundation to support smaller, grass-roots, and local charities in the UK with projects that have the potential to make a significant difference to their work. Grants range from £2k to £10k and the closing date for applications is 31 January. Find outr mor eby followign this link: https://foylefoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/small-grants-scheme-guidelines/

The Heritage Alliance, whilst not a funding body in itself, co-manages the Heritage Funding Directory  with the Architectural Heritage Fund. This free resource for the sector includes a directory listing funding sources for heritage projects across the UK (and internationally), and includes some helpful guidance on fundraising. It is regularly updated, so its worth visiting regularly.

Finally, the Association for Industrial Archaeology runs several annual grant and award schemes specifically for industrial archaeology and heritage, with closing dates at the end of January and the end of March. Follow this link for further details: https://industrial-archaeology.org/aia-awards/

Anderton Boat Lift Celebrates 150 Years of Use in 2025

January 7, 2025mikenevell

In 2025 the Anderton Boat Lift celebrates 150 years of use. Designated one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways, the boat lift was designed by engineer Edwin Clark to connect the Trent & Mersey Canal with the River Weaver Navigation fifty feet below and opened on 26 July 1875. Although it has been re-engineered several times, the lift has successfully carried boats between the two waterways for most of its 150 years, with only a couple of decades out of action in the 1980s and 1990s due to safety concerns caused by corrosion. At the turn of the Millenium, more than £7 million was raised to fund a major restoration and the boat lift began operating again on 26 March 2002.

The Canal and River Trust, who now run the Lift, will be transporting visitors back in time to 1875 by hosting a spectacular Victorian Fair over the anniversary weekend of July 25-27. During the rest of the summer season, as well as boat trips through the Lift, visitors will be able to enjoy other events, including Steam at the Lift (May 10/11), Pirates Weekend (June 21/22), Old Time Sailors Concert (July 4), and Steampunk Lift Off Weekender (September 27/28).

A generation on from the 2002 re-opening, the Lift needs a major upgrade to keep it operational. The Canal and River Trust are thus currently working to develop an ambitious ‘Engineering the Future’ project to revitalise the Anderton Boat Lift and Visitor Centre, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The whole structure requires blast cleaning, repairing and re-painting, the timber control cabin replacing, and IT operating system updating. This is expected to take 12 to 18 months, with a total estimated cost of £13.5 – £15 million.

For more details of the anniversary events and the proposed renovations follow this link: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/lift-off-for-a-special-150th-anniversary-year-at-anderton-boat-lift-in-2025

*The Anderton Boat Lift, connecting the Trent & Mersey Canal and the Weaver Navigation. Image copyright: Dr Michael Nevell*

Getting Involved With the Oral History of Birmingham’s Canal Restoration

December 19, 2024mikenevell

The Canal and River Trust (CRT) is looking at gathering oral histories about the people who were involved in the post-Second World War restoration of canals in Birmingham and the Black Country.

The aim is to record this important period in the history of Britain’s canals by talking to the people who worked on the restoration projects. CRT are looking to record personal stories to find out which canals people worked on, what they did to restore the canals, their motivations for being involved, the impacts the restoration work had on them, and information about restoration techniques.

This work is being undertaken with inHeritage. inHeritage is a heritage interpretation consultancy delivering innovative and accessible opportunities to communicate your key messages to your target audiences through a range of traditional and new media. They also manage interpretation, community archaeology, and oral history projects.

If you would like to get involved with this project please email Bill Bevan at: bill@inheritage.co.uk

*Birmingham canals post restoration. Image courtesy of CRT.*

Gas Holders – A History In Pictures from Historic England

December 12, 2024mikenevell

Historic England’s latest industrial heritage publication, produced in partnership with Liverpool University Press and National Grid, is ‘Gas Holders – A History in Pictures’ – https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/gasholders-history-in-pictures/.

Using a combination of archive and contemporary photographs, engineering drawings, prints, paintings, adverts and diagrams, it looks at the history and evolution of gas holders, engineers and manufacturers, their place in society and impact on the English landscape. The final chapter considers the future redevelopment of these sites, including those where gas holders are being successfully re-purposed’.

Online Petition Started to Save Museum of Cannock Chase

December 9, 2024mikenevell

The news that Cannock Chase Council is proposing the closure of the Museum of Cannock Chase in April 2025, as part of proposed budgets cuts for 2025/2026, has led to the establishment of an online petition against the closure.

The Council is holding a public consultation on the closure of the museum, and the council’s Prince of Wales theatre, which runs from the 29 November 2024 to the 2nd January 2025. The council released a report in November regarding the closure of the msuem and theatre which estimated that closing the two cultural venues would save £350k per annum. This report can be download by following this link (see pages 179 – 187):
https://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/council/meetings/agendas-reports-minutes/cabinet/2024-11-28

The Museum of Cannock Chase first opened in 1989 on the site of the former Valley Pit, a training pit for young coal miners. It covers the history of the Cannock Chase area across four galleries and also hosts a number of temporary exhibitions throughout the year. Although council-owned, it is operated by the charity Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL), who who also run the theatre, with a contract until 2027. Vistor numbers to the free musuem, before COVID, reached 46,500 in 2018/19. The number of visitors since the pandemic initially fell to 10,500 in 2021/22, but partially recovered to 21,000 in 2023/24.

The online petition notes that: ‘The museum’s collections tells over 300 years of history of the district and wider area and have become cherished resources. They have collected and safeguarded not only our industrial history but our social history, presenting and preserving the stories of people past and present – of those people who worked to create and shape our communities, and of the people who continue to do so. This entire collection is now at risk of being lost.’

The petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/save-the-museum-of-cannock-chase-protect-our-mining-heritage

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Category: industrial archaeology